Temujai Kidnappers
by Fantasicmagigori
Summary: Jael a farmboy slave from the land across the sea is kidnapped from his farm.
1. Temujai Kidnappers:Children in the Woods

Temujai Kidnappers

In the aftermath of the battle of Skandia the Temujai raiders fled west to their homelands. That is where my story begins. The Temujai in their loss decided to inflict as much damage as possible to Skandia. Raiding and looting the farms and villages in their path. In this way however they lost more men. Deflated they came across our settlement. We had lived there for only a year; me, three families, and their slaves. I was working in the fields harvesting the weeds from our crops when the sounds of horse hooves came from off in the distance.

"Jael get in here NOW!" Rudolf yelled. The sound was deepening I could see the birds flying to the air as the sound got closer. I began to run but already I knew I had been still for far too long. Potato spouts sped past me as I ran for the fence. Suddenly I heard the far off neigh of a horse. I turned half hoping they wouldn't see me. A regime of dark horses appeared through the fir trees. The soldiers a top them like dark flames against the forest. Some began to raise their bows. I sped forward pushing as hard as I could; the gate of the fence looming closer and closer. Still I heard the distant twang of bowstrings and the soft whiz of arrows. Two sped into the ground behind me the third struck the ground ahead. Now I could see Rudolf's face dark as the fir posts. Our master however wise he was wasn't willing to wait for a slave boy like me to get behind the fence. The horses where moving now, I could hear their hooves beating the earth. Strange what panic does to you, sometimes it freezes you and sometimes it pushes you. The cold spring air was burning in my throat. I knew I had to try even though it was pointless. Rudolf was cheering me on begging our master not to close me out. Suddenly an arrow struck my thigh. The other ones whizzed past my head kicking up dirt in my face. I heard Rudolf yelling and then the thud of an object falling to the ground. Rudolf was running towards me he was barely two meters away when a horse sped up to me. I felt myself being picked up.

"RUDOLF!" I shouted. A Temujai rode up and hit him on the head with a club. I felt the arrow being pulled out. The pain ripped through my body. The most I had ever felt was being whipped when I accidently tripped a customer. (I used to work in a food house.) The only family I knew was Rudolf.

"Please." I prayed "Please let Rudolf live." Then the club struck my head just as I saw the fence burning. MARIA!


	2. Temujai Kidnappers:Feast at Hallasholm

Temujai Kidnappers

The feast was still ongoing when she arrived. A small slave girl burnt and scratched arrived.

"Help! Please help us!" she said

"Girl what is the meaning of this?" said Gundar whom had just started a speech.

"Ho now Gundar we can listen to your clam story some other time." I said "Continue."

"Our settlement was attacked by horsemen they burned everything. My mother hid me in the wine cellar until it was over." She stopped and started crying. Immediately Evanlyn jumped the table and ran to her. She called out before taking her away.

"Send someone with food and drink." I moved to bring them up, but Halt knew me better. Instead sending a servant girl to deal with it.

"Don't. Women hate it when their interrupted." I sat down somewhat reluctantly. Although I have to say I was somewhat content I didn't want to miss the feast and who knows how long Evanlyn would need me.

"Gundar pass the pork!" I shouted. Knowing full well how I will feel after this.

I rushed the girl into my room. Her eyes where blotched and dirty and a long scar ran up her arm.

"Now." I said "Tell me what happened." She nodded and began speaking.

"I was working in the house washing dishes when my master and his sons came rushing in. They grabbed their axes from the wall. Then. Then I heard Rudolf shouting from the wall."

"Who is Rudolf?"

"He and another boy are brothers, they were bought when we shipped out of Hallasholm." Anger welled up inside me. I had been in the slave ring for awhile before Erak rescued us. I knew that Erak had made it less of a bad thing, but that didn't make it a good thing. "Rudolf was on top of the fence trying to stall our master from closing the gate. Then I heard Rudolf jump off the fence and then gate shut. My mother came running in. She pulled me to the wine cellar. 'Go down and wait until I come get you.'" She burst into tears. "She's never coming back is she?" I cradled her small body rocking her back and forth. I bit my lip holding back the tears.

"No no sweetie she'll come she'll come."

"No she won't I heard them I heard what they did to everyone. I know their gone."

"Be strong be strong." I whispered. She sobbed away the dirt from her face and hands.

"Why did they do that to my mommy?" She asked "Why did they hurt her."

"Because people are cruel and they have no heart left to bear their own hurt." It was all I could say. What else do you say? After a few minutes more of crying she absolved herself.

"They burned the compound and killed all of the animals. I saw their bodies." This little girl couldn't have been more than five or three even though she had so much to grieve for and so little to hope for. I wonder if she will ever reconcile. She sighed and lied down closing her eyes.

"Miss." Came a voice "I brought some food." I turned from the girl to see a woman holding a bowl and mug.

"Set them down on the table." I whispered pulling up the blankets. "She sleeps."

"Oh." She said "Maria!" She rushed to the side of the bed and grabbed her hand. "Oh my Maria." She turned now noticing my presence again. "Oh miss I-I am sorry." She rose to leave.

"No no stay I need to know more please tell me." She had already backed out to the door. Biting her lip.

"She's my niece. I used to care for her while her mother worked. I was a nursemaid for a Skandian official's child so I had plenty of free time. Then their master's family along with three others left for the west, hoping to establish a community."

"When was this?"

"About three years ago." Said the woman smiling upon Maria's face. "She was barely more than two and I can still remember her running along the halls in nothing but a wrapping." I smiled quietly memories of myself doing the same thing came back. "She had the cutest little smile. Always so giddy."

"I am afraid that won't be the little girl to wake up." The woman looked at me quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"She's been through a lot. I fear she won't be that same girl when she awakens."

"No what do you mean? What happened?"

"It would be better if she told you. I can take over for you until you return."

"Are you sure miss?"

"Do me a favor and never call me miss."

I walked out heading for the dining hall. The kitchen staff will be quite surprised when I show up. A guest privately raiding the cabinets sure, but a guest working with the kitchen staff ,humph, unthinkable! The chef was quite frazzled having a guest serve in the kitchens and even when I explained the situation to him he still didn't quite understand. I finally got him to load me up though after several attempts to give me cake platters. Will called me over. His face showed how he planned to tease me.

"Need help princess?" he asked smirking

"Wipe that smirk off your face and help me with these." Will only laughed. "Well I can always get Horace to do it." Will was already running for the kitchen.

"That's not something you see every day." Said Halt grabbing a slice of pork from a platter. "So what did happen?" I relayed everything to Halt and again to Erak when he wandered over to escape Gundars speech.

"So do you believe her?" Was Halts answer.

"Do we really need to do this." I said "That poor girl has run for who knows how long and already has enough to worry her without you guys interrogating her!" Halt smiled.

"Well than we'd better get moving."


	3. Temujai Kidnappers:Furthest Forest

Temujai Kidnappers

Will came running in holding a platter stewn with meats and greens.

"Will." Called Halt

"Do you want beef or pork?" he asked huffing.

"Pork." said Erak "No greens." Will piled his plate till he was out. Erak looked expectantly up.

"No more." said Will

"Alright then give me the rest."

"Even the greens?"

"Yes, even the greens." sighed Erak Will poured out the platter then sat down next to Halt.

"What is all this about?" He asked pointing to each of us.

"Apparently this girl's settlement was attacked." Said Halt

"That is nothing new."

"Well it is who attacked her."

"And who did?" asked Will stabbing at a piece of meat in Eraks plate.

"Temujai." Will paused the fork halfway to his mouth.

"Temujai?" he asked "You mean the Temujai we just drove out? The reason we are having this feast." Halt sighed

"Yes." Halt said bringing is knife out and stabbing a piece of meat from Eraks plate. "Those Temujai." Erak suddenly turned around eyeing his plate and the meat on Halts knife.

"I think I will go see what Gundar is doing." He said picking up his plate. I gave Halt a stare.

"What?" he said chomping down.

"Ugh. Men!"

Thousands of kilometers away Jael lies across the back of a horse speeding through the fir trees and away from the smoke. They had just raided another settlement and rounded up a considerable amount of captives. No Skandians though only slaves and animals. Five more Temujai had been lost though and none of the men where to keen on staying very long. Branches full with their spring foliage surrounded him and the ground was no longer soft and muddy but firm and growing. He had no way to see however. A black bag covered his head. It was hard to breathe through but at least it kept the branches away.

The horse stopped. And a voice began shouting out. Soon I was carried off the horse and placed with my back to a fir tree.

"Hello." I said "Rudolf anyone?"

"Jael?" whispered a voice.

"Hello. Who is there?"

"My name is Frisk. I come from the settlement we just raided."

"Frisk. Who are you?"

"I am the son of our cook."

"Where are we?"

"I would ask you the same thing. These riders they circled and looped around I have no idea where we may be." The future truely did look dim.

"Have you heard or seen any of the other prisoners?"

"I heard one he was calling for you. That is how I knew your name."

"Rudolf. Where is he."

"I heard him once he was calling for you. Then one of the men they knocked him out."

"Why isn't he here?" I asked

"He might be we probably just can't see him." I began crawling out reaching for a hand or head something. I had to find him he was all the family I had. Where was he. A hand grabbed my leg.

"Jael we can't just go leaping out the gaurds might get angry." Called Frisk

"I have to find my brother!" I said wretching my leg out of his reach. He leapt upon it agian.

"Look Jael I know you want to find your brother, but if they catch you or me looking for him they might kill us."

"Why would they do that?"

"They're not mind readers Jael. They'll probably think you're trying to escape."

"With this thing on my head? What reasonable person would do that?" I could feel him staring at me. I knew I had lost the arguement and he did have a point. Quickly I shuffled back hugging up against the tree."Where do you think he is?"

"Honestly Jael I don't know." The faint tinge of dusk rested in the air and cicadas fresh from their shells began their rising symphony.

"What do we do then?"

"We wait."


End file.
